Saturday, February 28, 2009

Some of you may have already seen this short and disturbing video clip of celebrity cook Paula Deen, and her recent wardrobe malfunction. Apparently, the weight of the cordless microphone set on her pants pulled them down causing her to moon the audience - who seemed to enjoy it a little too much.

This really upset me because if I ever get a show on Food Network, I had planned to do the exact same thing as a publicity stunt. Now, I've have to come up with a Plan B. The question in the poll is regarding whether you think this was an accident, or she planned the whole thing.

Friday, February 27, 2009

This video recipe is my fairly weak attempt at the famous Vietnamese spicy beef noodle soup, Pho. As I shopped for the ingredients, I had a nice package of beef oxtail in my hand, but since I was just making a small batch, and I already had two beautiful beef shanks in the basket, I decided to not get them. That was a mistake.

While this beef noodle soup wasn't bad, it wasn't spectacularly great which is what Pho should be. The signature of this soup is a very rich, deeply flavored, collagen-infused beef broth. I overestimated the beef shanks, and it was lacking exactly what the oxtails would have added.

Also, to add to this Pho's fauxness, I went pretty light on the spices. Real Pho has more of the aromatic spices you'll see in the video. I also didn’t add the extra sliced beef that is traditional, like brisket, flank, and thinly sliced, rare filet mignon. I also didn’t char the ginger, which is recommended. I also didn't pronouce Pho correctly - I say, "Pho," when it's actually more like, "Fuh." Despite all this, I still had a pretty nice beef soup, but it really made me crave a real Pho.

Don’t get me wrong, I encourage you to make this recipe - the technique you'll see is fairly accurate, but I advise you to add a couple pounds of oxtails, and maybe twice the spices. Also, for homework, find the nearest Vietnamese restaurant and order a bowl of Pho so you can see what we are trying to do here. Enjoy!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Balls have always been problematic for menu and recipe writers. You can't write "Pork Balls" on a menu, you have to write "Pork Meatballs." Even though there would be no possibility of confusing these Bison balls with the reproductive parts of a male buffalo, the "balls" would never be written without the "meat." Well, I think it's high time this practice is sacked.

Are we still so immature as a nation that we can't just serve balls? Do we have to keep adding those extra letters for fear some 15-year old can't control his giggling at Hooters? Besides, now that 72% of all information (my estimate) is transmitted via text message, I would think we'd all benefit from chopping off a couple letters, e.g., MMA Tonys 4 bison balls.

This recipe is inspired by the retro classic, cocktail meatballs in grape jelly. I took that idea, along with my love of spicy orange beef, and came up with this combination. I chose bison as the meat due to its lower fat, and slight subtle gaminess. The very simple, spicy-sweet sauce with the savory bison balls makes a great pair.

These can be used for a main course over some rice, but are really great served as an Hors d'oeuvre at a party. Just make sure you make enough. These are very addictive, and you don’t want to leave some of your guests hanging. They could get testy. Enjoy!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Okay, so you're probably aren’t fasting for Lent, at least not in the traditional sense, but that doesn't mean you still can't indulge for Mardi Gras (French for "fat Tuesday" …and it's not called that for nothing!).

The official motto of Mardi Gras is, "Laissez le bon temp rouler" (pronounced lazay-la-bon-tom-roulay), which means, "let the good times roll!" With that in mind, I've linked below to some New Orleans-inspired classics I've posted before. I hope you give them a try. Enjoy!Creole Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

Monday, February 23, 2009

That's right, you can now subscribe to Food Wishes on iTunes! Of course, I really don't know how it works, only that my video recipes can now be watched by a whole new segment of society - the one with those white wires hanging from their ears.

Instead of listening to their teachers, kids can now watch me bone chicken in the back of class. People will be watching onions sweat instead of paying attention in meetings at work. Test scores and productivity will plummet!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Starting Monday, I will be doing my civic duty by reporting for jury duty. So, next week's content could be affected, in both quantity and quality. The last time I checked, "producing video recipes," wasn't on the list of acceptable reasons for being excused.

I've always thought juries should be made up exclusively of retired senior citizens, and homeless drifters. I won't go into the specific of my plan, but it makes sense on many levels.

Luckily, I have many connections to law enforcement, which can be used to get out of jury duty if you know how to work it. In criminal cases, you are always asked if you have any relationships to law enforcement. Bias towards the police over a defendant is a big no-no.

So, once I list all my relatives that are cops, I'll be sure to say a few things like, "If they weren't guilty, why would they have been arrested?" and "I don't have a problem with police bending the rules if it keeps the scum off the streets." To be safe, I'll also be wearing my "Shoot First and Ask Questions Later" t-shirt. Wish me luck!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Celebrity chef Tyler Florence, my neighbor (he lives in Mill Valley, just North of SF), and good friend (he has no idea who I am), just announced a video recipe contest sponsored by Macy's, called Macy's Keeps America Cooking.

The contest's theme is explained in the video below. I suggest watching it twice, since if you're like me, the first time I could only focus on trying to figure out what was the deal with that dude's accent. I'm hoping to partner with TF's people on future projects, so help a brother out - go enter the contest and tell'em Chef John from Food Wishes sent you.

As far as reason #91 for why I'll never have a show on food network, two words: demo tape. Every online cooking contest, reality cooking show audition, Food Network open call, et al., requires you send in some kind of demo tape, or video, so they can see you in "action."

But, not cooking action, they want to see personality, and lots of it. I think after watching the gentleman in the video sample below, you'll see where I'm going with this. Let's just say my style may be a bit subdued for the producers of these shows. Bam!

All kidding aside, I am a fan of Tyler, and his cooking style (hey, you think they just let anyone create menu items for Applebee's?), so I'm happy to help spread the word about this contest. The prizes are pretty sweet, including a trip to San Francisco! You can get all the specific info at the Macy's Keeps America Cooking contest website. Good Luck!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

For many years hearing the word, "curry" was like fingernails on my culinary chalkboard. Where I'm from, "curry" meant a thick, greasy, bright yellow sauce made with copious amount of turmeric, covering chunks of mystery meat. I know, as good as that sounds, I still didn’t like it.

All through culinary school, and on into my early career in California, even the smell of turmeric made me cringe. It was my Kryptonite.

As the years went by, and my culinary horizons expanded, so did my understanding and appreciation of curries. I learned that the horrible yellow curry from my youth wasn't even really a true curry, and that curries came in almost every color, from countries all over Asia.

My favorite curries today are definitely the Thai red and green curries. Even though it's one of my older, and cruder productions, the Red Curry Beef Stew is still one of my favorite video recipes on the blog.

This green curry chicken recipe was filmed for About.com's Thai site and I was very happy with the results. As usual I take a few shortcuts to make this amazing dish accessible to the average American home cook, but the soul of the dish remains intact.

Traditionally, green curries are considered the "hottest" of all the Thai curries, and as you'll see in the video, the green curry paste, which is the base of the dish, is quite an intense formula.

Having said that, there's plenty of flexibility with how hot you decide to make it, although it should, at the very least, produce a little sweat (along with the accompanying endorphin rush). Enjoy!

Video Player Note: About.com no longer allows videos to be embedded off their site. So, to watch these clips just click on the graphic below and off you go. Just, don't forget to come back!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

When I'm cooking corned beef, watching it simmer in the aromatic broth, I'll sometimes close my eyes and picture the delicious plate of food I have coming. The funny thing is, it's not the sliced corned beef and cabbage I'm dreaming of, it's the corned beef hash I'm going to be making with the leftovers.

There are certain dishes I would never talk someone into trying, or argue on behalf of its virtues. It's one of those, "there are two kinds of people in the world" things. Either you really love corned beef hash, or you don't eat it. It's not a dish for the indifferent.

Now, that the non-hash people have stopped reading, let's talk crust. As you well know, what separates a great hash from a transcendent hash is the "crust." You can't rush a corned beef hash crust - it's built slowly, over medium heat, with multiple turnings and pressings, the meat and potatoes crisped and caramelized in the combination of butter and beef fat.

I've always felt it's a poached eggs greatest achievement to meet its end on a pile of perfectly crusty corned beef hash. In addition to the textural pleasures, it also features one of the food world's greatest sights - the egg's golden yolk slowly running over and through the steaming hash. They don't know what they're missing. Enjoy!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

I guess this is a combination of "Tuesday Tease" and "What I Had for Breakfast." This corned beef hash video recipe is finished, but still processing. I hope to post it later this evening. It was as good as it looks, and I think it looks pretty damn good. Enjoy!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Those nutrition labels on food do not easily frighten me. But, one label that always takes my breath away is that of heavy whipping cream. The fat and calories are staggering, yet nothing compares to its indescribable effect on a recipe.

Those of you who made the chocolate mousse know what I'm talking about. It's the quintessential special occasion ingredient. So, when the craving struck for a nice spaghetti with Alfredo sauce recently, I decided to try an alternative to the 4,000-calorie all-cream version, and grabbed a head of cauliflower.

If there was a game (called "Oppafoodosites") where someone yells out a food word, and you have to yell back the complete opposite - "cauliflower" would be my response to "heavy cream." But, as you'll see in this video recipe, the creamy cauliflower puree, with just a small splash of cream, makes a beautiful sauce.

I also love the dusting of crispy Parmesan breadcrumbs that top this delicious pasta. I used the very fine, dry breadcrumbs instead of the larger homemade crumbs you've seen me use in other videos, since I wanted a very fine, almost gritty texture to top the creamy sauce.

This cauliflower spaghetti Alfredo is a great "bridge" recipe, helping us transition from rich, decadent Valentine's offerings to much leaner winter fare. This tastes and feels very rich, but is actually quite light. Enjoy!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Here are some links to six previously posted video recipes that would be perfect for any Valentine's diner. There's something here for everyone, even a very sensual non-meat option. All these recipes are easy to shop for, simple to prepare, and relatively fast to cook.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Many years ago, I took Michele away for a romantic getaway up to Mendocino, CA. I told her I had arranged everything, but being a typical male, I procrastinated and assumed dinner reservations would be no problem. Much to my horror, there were only a handful of restaurants open that time of year, all of which were booked. How was I going to get out of this one?

Luckily the Bed and Breakfast we were staying at had a fireplace. I had a brainstorm...I told my wife I had a surprise for her, and that I was going to cook her a romantic dinner in the room, in the fireplace. She loved the idea! Now, I had to find the food.

Fortunately, this area is home to some great salmon fishing, and I found some amazing wild salmon at a local store. I bought some foil, and did a simple salmon filet wrapped with butter and fresh herbs. I also wrapped up some baby potatoes seasoned only with salt. I tossed these foil pouches into the hot ashes, and in no time we were enjoying one of the most delicious, sexiest, and romantic meal of our lives.

The food Gods were rooting for me that night. The salmon was cooked beautifully - infused with the aromatic herb butter, with a texture so perfect for a few moments I swore never to cook salmon again.

But, the adventure didn't end there. I had also bought a little baggie of wild huckleberries at a fruit stand, and a single frozen piecrust at the main store. I poured the berries into the piecrust, and tossed them with all 12 of the little sugar packets from our coffee kit. This was carefully wrapped in lots of foil and placed on the dying coals.

As we waited for dessert, we finished what was one too many bottles of wine, and both fell asleep. I woke up about 4 hours later to the acrid smell of burnt piecrust. Oh no, I had burned the pie! I pulled it out of the spent ashes and tore it open.

Much to my amazement it was perfectly cooked! The burned smell was from some of the syrup that had leaked out into the ashes, but the pie itself was a perfectly crisp, golden brown, and the sugared berries had caramelized into a beautiful warm jam. It was ethereal.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Chocolate mousse is a surprisingly easy "fancy" dessert you can make for your Valentine's dinner. This video recipe shows my favorite basic chocolate mousse recipe, with the addition of a little dash of chipotle pepper - which really does some strange and wonderful things.

If you look back at the history of chocolate, it was certainly not enjoyed as the sweet treat we think of today. The Maya and Aztecs cultures both used the cacao beans, but they were most often fermented and made into a very bitter drink, often flavored with chili peppers.

So, unless you're dating a 3,000-year-old Mayan Goddess, I suggest something more along the lines of this modern chocolate mousse recipe, which still pays homage to the ancient spicy flavoring. You will be pleasantly surprised by how just a tiny dash of the hot, bittersweet spice brings out the full complexity of the chocolate.

Of course, I know that many of you just won't be able to pull the trigger. It just seems wrong to your culinary sensibilities, and that's all right. It's not really that big a deal. But, in one last attempt to convince you to give it a try, I will tell you that the Aztecs considered this chocolate chili concoction to be quite a powerful aphrodisiac.

If spicy peppers aren’t your thing, you can alter this recipe in more conventional ways with things like orange zest, or extracts like almond, coffee, and mint. One last tip, there's no need to sweeten the whipped cream garnish. The contrast of the plain, rich cream and the sweet, decadent chocolate underneath is a magical mix you don't want to mess with. Enjoy!

This is a test. The link below will allow you to download the salmon recipe I posted yesterday to your iPod.

I'm not a big technophile, so I don't fully understand the impact of this, if any. What I'm hoping is you, my loyal visitors, tell me what this means.

Is this a big deal? Will you cook with headphones on while watching an iPod movie? Can I make money with iPod videos? What is the difference between a podcast and a iPod movie? Can someone make me an App?

Monday, February 9, 2009

Get some what? Compliments on your cooking, of course! This video recipe shows a new salmon technique I've been using lately, where the moist, fatty salmon belly portion is used to top the thicker, leaner part of the filet.

This really produces a fantastic piece of salmon, and when paired with a simple potato and leek chowder, would make a terrific Valentine's dinner idea. You can tell this was designed for some kind of special occasion by the green onion ties.

I normally avoid such contrivances, but when done in the context of cooking a Valentine's meal for the object of your affection (also, the object of your affectation), it seems very appropriate. The fact that you (seemingly) went through so much extra effort will convey a certain something about your other talents and abilities.

This is not a recipe for beginners. Having stated that, I will say that there's no good reason why this will not work even if you are a novice cook. The key is to watch the video 6 or 7 times, take a few notes, and secretly practice it before the main event.

It doesn’t get any better than being able to do a home cooked meal for your Valentine. Think of the savings, the privacy, and what many bachelors call the "home field advantage." But, there are a few things to consider to maximize the experience.

Find out about any food allergies beforehand. A trip to the emergency room will not impress your date or her grotesquely swollen face. Also, no scented candles! This salmon recipe isn’t as good when eaten in a room that smells like "Lavender Rain."

Lastly, if things seem to be going well, about halfway through dessert, lean over and say, "Would you like to put in your breakfast order now?" If she smiles shyly you know you're in business - if she gets insulted and leaves, you get to finish her dessert - it's a win, win. Enjoy!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

I rarely post videos from other online culinarians, but once in a while I see something so brilliant, so perfectly done, I feel I have to share it with the rest of you. This Valentines Day video is from "Cookin' with Dave," starring Dave, who according to his apron is the "World's Greatest Chef."

I highly recommend watching the entire 13 minute clip several times to make sure you didn’t miss anything, but in case you just can't find the time, forward to about the 7 minute mark. That's when his date arrives and the magic truly begins.

Dave not only shows you how to make a gourmet steak dinner for two, he also gives lots of great pointers on making your Valentine feel very special. This is a 13-minute Tour de Force that is sure to inspire. Enjoy!Disclaimer: If this is your first visit to Food Wishes, please know that this is meant as satire, and we really aren't a bunch of jerks. I'm sure Dave is a great guy - and many, many men will use this video to help close the deal.

Friday, February 6, 2009

This short and fascinating video recipe for spicy tomato rice will hopefully add a very nice, all-purpose side dish to your repertoire. Believe it or not, Chefs have a much tougher time coming up with starchy side dishes for meals than they do with the main items. Is this an issue for you as well?

This is probably due to the fact that new recipes for main courses seem almost infinite. At last count there were 2,769,241 ways to cook a chicken. By the way, while I typed that last sentence, 793 new ways to cook chicken were just invented.

Side dishes are another story. I do about five or six variations on mashed potatoes and that's it. Seems you can only do so many things to make it interesting before you run out of ideas. Kind of like Survivor. So, don't underestimate the importance of adding a new side dish to your arsenal.

This Spanish rice-inspired spicy tomato rice recipe is super easy to make, and is always a crowd-pleaser. When was the last time you had Spanish rice? The last time you went to Spain? That time you went to that Mexican place for that thing with those guys? If you can't recall, then it's time to watch this video and get busy. Enjoy!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

I gets lots of odd email questions, but one recent query was as simple as it was random. "What did you eat for breakfast today?" So, in honor of that particular question, I give to you the first (and most likely last) "what I had for breakfast" post.

Today's breaking of the fast included two wild salmon patties topped with sunny-side-up eggs and a spot of Frank's hot sauce. Paired with hot coffee, it was four hundred calories (exactly) of low-carb deliciousness.